Saudi court orders 200 lashes for rape victim
The United States has given only mild criticism of a Saudi court's order to double the number of lashings for a gang rape victim.
"This is a part of a judicial procedure overseas in the court of a sovereign country," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, when asked to comment on the case. Mr McCormack declined to directly criticise America's close ally, or the Saudi legal system, which has made a series of erratic verdicts in recent months.
The 19-year-old Shiite woman from the town of Qatif in the Eastern Province was raped by seven men in 2006.
A court had originally sentenced the woman to 90 lashes and the rapists to jail terms of between 10 months and five years.
But the victim's lawyer told Reuters last week the court had increased her sentence to 200 lashes and six months in prison.
He said the court had blamed the woman for being alone with unrelated men.
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